Cecil County Veterans Oral History Project Continues


     In the fall of 2003, the Historical Society of Cecil County launched a new program to document the contributions of military personnel from all ranks and branches of service.

The Cecil County Veterans Oral History Project is an ongoing effort to preserve the stories and memories of individuals who lived in Cecil County at the time of service, or who contributed to the war effort as civilians.  Donations from local service groups including the VFW, American Legion and Moose Lodge helped make the project possible.

      In its initial phase, the Veterans Oral History Project will focus on the personal stories of local veterans, including their memories of growing up in Cecil County, their wartime experiences, their impressions of wars past and current, and their descriptions of the home front during and after the war.  The contributions of women and civilians--such as the women who moved to Cecil County to work in local munitions factories--will also be included.  Ultimately, the goal of the project is to highlight the contributions of veterans to the military and to their community, and to pass on their stories of heroism and sacrifice to future generations. 

      From a broader historical perspective, the information gathered as part of this project can provide insight into the socioeconomic and cultural context of wartime and the impact military service had on veterans' lives.  Oral history presents a unique opportunity to discover the viewpoint of ordinary people, and to document the kind of history often not found in history books.

     Audio files, transcripts, photographs and documents collected during this project will become a permanent record of Cecil County veterans' experiences, and will be placed in the Historical Society's permanent collection to be used for research.  The Society plans to seek additional funding to develop a booklet, traveling exhibit and other educational materials to enable a wide range of audiences to experience the veterans' stories first-hand.

     The project is headed by Jenifer Grindle Dolde, a history and museum consultant from Earleville, who has conducted interviews with farmers, folk artists and other individuals on the Delmarva Peninsula during her career.  Ms. Dolde stresses the importance of capturing personal stories:  "With each passing day we lose more and more veterans, and with them, their unique and important memories.  The Cecil County Veterans Oral History Project gives us the opportunity to document these experiences and preserve a part of history not found anywhere else."

     Individuals who are willing to be interviewed about their military or other service are asked to contact the Historical Society of Cecil County by phone at (410) 398-1790 or e-mail at history@cchistory.org and provide their name, dates of service and contact information.